If you are puzzled why professionals drill holes for termite treatment, then you’re not alone! Drilling holes into your foundation is done to allow the liquid chemical treatment, which often contains borax and formaldehyde, down into the ground through these small openings drilled outside of a home’s foundation.
Should you drill holes in your house for termites?
So, drilling holes is something you are interested in. When termite treatment drilling should be used and why? So, one of the most notable reasons for you to drill holes, is to insert repellents and/or baits inside the ground or your house’s wooden walls. And is it effective to drill holes in your house? Absolutely.
What is termite drilling and how does it work?
It involves drilling into the foundation of the building. It’s the same overall concept as rodding because it’s focused on getting the termiticide to the place where the termites live, but obviously, drilling requires more tools and more skill, because you’re drilling into the actual house or surrounding structures.
Why do you drill holes in Your House?
So, one of the most notable reasons for you to drill holes, is to insert repellents and/or baits inside the ground or your house’s wooden walls. And is it effective to drill holes in your house?
How to protect a wooden building from termites?
In fact, it is one of the most popular ways of temporarily (or for one-time use) defending a wooden construction from termites. In the first case, the holes are drilled and the insecticide is poured inside to prevent further infestations and completely stop termites from appearing.
Is drilling necessary for termite treatment?
Answer: The answer to this question is also in our How To Do A Termite Treatment Article. For your garage, porch, patios, or other contiguous slabs against the home, you will need to get the termiticide underneath the concrete against the foundation. To do this you will need a hammer drill with a 1/2" x 18" drill bit.
How far apart are drill holes for termite treatment?
When performing a termite treatment and treating concrete slabs, the holes should be drilled about 2-3 inches away from the house, and 10 inches apart. Typically a 1/2 inch drill bit is used.
How long does drilling for termites last?
These termite treatments last for five years on average. For this treatment, a termite specialist will dig a trench around the perimeter of your home and apply the liquid treatment in it. That's not to say termites will never find their way across, even in five years.
What is a termite kick out hole?
Termite holes, also known as termite exit holes or kick-out holes, are tiny openings created when termites tunnel through wood, mud or drywall to the outside. These holes are usually no more than an eighth of an inch in diameter, and they typically don't stay open, or visible, for long.
What time of day are termites most active?
Subterranean termites swarm during the day, particularly after rainfall. They're most active in the spring. Invasive Formosan termites swarm at night and are generally at their peak in the late spring and summer. Drywood termites are also active at night, especially around lights.
Can you plug a termite hole?
Nymphs use a brown, cement-like material made out of feces to plug termite holes.
Can termites be permanently removed?
The straight answer to this question is NO. It is not possible to eliminate termites permanently.
How often should a house be treated for termites?
So, how often should a house be treated for termites? Termite treatments last about five to eight years. A liquid termite treatment can last five years or more. Termite bait station treatments only last one year and require routine inspections, customarily performed every 3 to 6 months.
What to do if termites are in your walls?
1:154:53How to Treat Invisible Termites Behind Drywall with the XT ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou would treat them locally with foam or with xt 2000 or your preferred termiticide. Then you'dMoreYou would treat them locally with foam or with xt 2000 or your preferred termiticide. Then you'd spray a preservative.
What does a termite hole look like in a wall?
You may see dirt in a hole made by subterranean termites. Drywood termites do not leave soil behind. Faint 'lines' on drywall. (As termites tunnel through the paperboard on drywall, you may be able to see a map of their tunnels from the outside of the wall.)
How can you tell a termite hole?
The best way to distinguish other holes from a termite hole is by the size and the substance used to cover the hole. Other wood-destroying insects such as carpenter ants and acrobat ants typically leave behind larger holes and use frass, a powdery-like substance similar to sawdust, to re-cover the hole.
How do you identify a termite hole?
Keep an eye out for the following signs of termite activity:Discolored or drooping drywall.Peeling paint that resembles water damage.Wood that sounds hollow when tapped.Small, pinpoint holes in drywall.Buckling wooden or laminate floor boards.Tiles loosening from the added moisture termites can introduce to your floor.More items...
Why do you drill holes for termite treatment?
When termite treatment drilling should be used and why? So, one of the most notable reasons for you to drill holes, is to insert repellents and/or baits inside the ground or your house’s wooden walls.
What happens if you don't identify termites?
For example, if you don’t identify the nest correctly and disturb the termites, they might move to a different place inside your house. Also, as you might have guessed, the method is most often used for wooden termites – though that doesn’t mean it is always used for them.
How soon will termites die?
Let’s say you’ve done everything as good as possible, poured the insecticide as perfectly as possible etc. The answer would be: soon. In fact, very soon. Termites will receive a fatal dose of toxic materials, and in a matter of weeks, if not days, will be gone completely.
How to get rid of a nest in seconds?
In the seconds case, you drill holes into or close to the nests, apply an active insecticide and that way you get rid of the nest immediately. Both are very effective ways of pest-control used world-wide. On the negative side, well, you have to drill holes. They may ruin the looks, structural integrity and else.
What is the life cycle of termites?
Termite life cycle – from egg to larvae. And social hierarchy: workers, soldiers, queen. Did you know that termites can infest living trees, for example a palm or a pine tree. They also like to live in stumps.
Can you do it yourself with pest control?
People have came up with many ways of pest-control. Some of them are very effective and popular, while some a for users on budget. Some may be made yourself, or otherwise called do-it-yourself methods, while some can only be used by professionals. There’s a vast choice when It comes to controlling the parasites around your home.
Can you fill holes in your hands with insecticide?
Including the skin irritation, and spreading to all the things you could touch with your bare, covered in toxic material, hands. When the holes are done, you should go on and fill them up with a chosen insecticide.
What Is Termite Drilling?
Termite drilling involves drilling directly into the foundation of the termite-infested building. This process allows the termiticide to reach the area of the infestation directly.
Is Drilling Necessary for Termite Treatment?
Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite and cause billions of dollars in damage each year. These termites can eat books, paper products, cellulose-based products, and other plant-based goods. When trying to get rid of these termites, the recommendation is that you directly treat the infestation.
How To Use Drilling To Treat Termites
If you determine that drilling is necessary for termite treatment you need to locate the infestation. Once you locate your termite infestation, you need to drill into the drywall or infested wood then apply the product. Drill holes into the drywall about 18 inches above the floor and between each stud of the infested area.
Other Types of Termite Treatments
In addition to drilling, there are other termite treatments to rid your property of a termite infestation. Some common types are rodding, chemical treatment, bait treatment, tenting, fumigation, and heat treatment.
Related Questions
A number of factors will influence the cost to treat your home for termites. These include the size of the colony, the type of termite, the severity of the infestation, and the location of the infestation. Some termite control professionals will also take into account the size of the structure that requires treatment.
What is drilling in a house?
Drilling means exactly what you’d think it means. It involves drilling into the foundation of the building. It’s the same overall concept as rodding because it’s focused on getting the termiticide to the place where the termites live, but obviously, drilling requires more tools and more skill, because you’re drilling into the actual house or surrounding structures.
What is termite rodding?
Rodding. Rodding is used in conjunction with a trench dug in the soil to deliver treatment to an infested area. Traditional termite treatment uses a six-inch trench to make sure the termite treatment gets down to where the termites live.
How do I treat a concrete slab for termite?
To do this you will need a hammer drill with a 1/2" x 18" drill bit. You drill holes throughout the concrete about 3-4 inches away from the wall or foundation, and about every 10"-12" apart. Once the holes are drilled, you fill at the same rate you did the trench, 4 gallons per 10 feet. To fill these I would recommend using the one gallon sprayer on a "pin stream" setting so you can force the liquid down the hole and not splash it everywhere. You can also use a funnel and pour the termiticide down the holes. It is difficult to get 4 gallons per 10 feet in the holes, so it is important that you use a long drill bit, at least 18" long so you can bore out enough dirt to hold the termiticide. Once the holes are filled all you need to do is patch them with a concrete patch filler you can buy at Home Depot or you can use our Trebor plugs that will close the hole with no concrete mess.
How far apart should I drill holes in concrete?
You drill holes throughout the concrete about 3-4 inches away from the wall or foundation, and about every 10"-12" apart. Once the holes are drilled, you fill at the same rate you did the trench, 4 gallons per 10 feet. To fill these I would recommend using the one gallon sprayer on a "pin stream" setting so you can force the liquid down ...
How many gallons of termite per 10 feet?
It is difficult to get 4 gallons per 10 feet in the holes, so it is important that you use a long drill bit, at least 18" long so you can bore out enough dirt to hold the termiticide.
Pros and Cons
- So, drilling holes is something you are interested in. When termite treatment drilling should be used and why? So, one of the most notable reasons for you to drill holes, is to insert repellents and/or baits inside the ground or your house’s wooden walls. And is it effective to drill holes in your house? Absolutely. In fact, it is one of the most p...
How to Drill Holes For Termite Treatment?
- Drilling holes termite controll in the first place is simple. You should use a drill with a fitting head. For example, if drilling through wood – use something lighter and softer, otherwise, while drilling through materials like concrete, be sure to use something more serious, and a more serious drill if required. Let’s say you know the termites reside, and where is their nest. You’ve chosen an appro…
Effective Or Not?
- If you would ask a professional the question above, then the answer would be: “Yes, yes of course!” Indeed, mostly, the further you go in pest-control, the better. In our case, we are going so far, that we are even drilling holes in the house! You are transporting the insecticide right into the termites’ habitat, there’s not many thing more effective than that. Though the speed of the progr…
Useful Articles
- If you interested in more information of termites we recommend you to read the following articles: 1. All types of termites. Are they harmful to humans? Can they bite you? And what is the difference between drywood and subterraneanones? 2. What does swarmers of different species look like: drywood, subterranean, formosan? 3. Signs of infestation outside and in the house: in …
Helpful Video
- This video show termite treatment drilling holes in concrete around a home for subterranean termites:
Conclusion
- All in all, drilling holes in your building, especially if you have an ongoing infestation should be done with care. You don’t want to fail and re-drill a hole, do you? Still, all thing considered, the method you’ve just read about is a really good and effective way and can not only be used for removing the currently existing nests, but, as it has already been stated above, for preventing th…
Rodding
- Rodding is used in conjunction with a trench dug in the soil to deliver treatment to an infested area. Traditional termite treatment uses a six-inch trench to make sure the termite treatment gets down to where the termites live. With rodding, after the trench is dug, a rod is inserted, to make a hole every twelve inches or so that’s afoot deeper than that six-inch Termiticide is poured into th…
Drilling
- Drilling means exactly what you’d think it means. It involves drilling into the foundation of the building. It’s the same overall concept as rodding because it’s focused on getting the termiticide to the place where the termites live, but obviously, drilling requires more tools and more skill, because you’re drilling into the actual house or surrou...
How Are Rodding and Drilling Effective?
- Subterranean termites live in the soil, and they get into your home or business through holes or cracks in the slab on which the building is constructed. These holes aren’t necessarily signs of damage; the termites might get in through the expansion joint between the foundation and the main slab, or around the plumbing penetrating the slab. Drilling into the slab is a good way to rea…
What’s The Right Termite-Treatment Option For Your Property?
- The best way to determine this is to call in a professional, whose expertise in termite control extends across many different types of treatments. A termite control expert will be able to inspect your property, determine the extent of the termite damage, and recommend the best course of treatment to help you create a termite-free environment. Mighty Mite Termite Services has been …